if my only choices are: sonor 3001, gretsch catalina maple and the fernando kit. id take the fernando. looking closely at the shell construction, it seems to me that they come from the same factory so you might as well be paying for the same quality at lesser cost. im just speculating here hehehe

If the price is real low compared to the Gretsches, I'd go with the Fernando. Kahit yung non-maple set nila matino eh. Just take care of the hardware, because they might be a bit low-end. Pero punas every week, and it'll last a while.

Cymbals... I don't think you should think about the cymbals when you buy a set. Tama si peeves, pangit lagi yan by default, lalo na dito sa Pinas. Buy the kit first, then plan your cymbals. I'd suggest you buy a crash first and a ride next. Then hats. Then others (splash, china, bell, other crashes, another ride, etc.). A lot of people here sa forum are selling their cymbals dirt cheap, so you might want to look around. Buy Gep's 20" A Zildjian Med Ride, para mabili na niya 17" trash crash ko, hehehe.

if my only choices are: sonor 3001, gretsch catalina maple and the fernando kit. id take the fernando. looking closely at the shell construction, it seems to me that they come from the same factory so you might as well be paying for the same quality at lesser cost. im just speculating here hehehe

If the price is real low compared to the Gretsches, I'd go with the Fernando. Kahit yung non-maple set nila matino eh. Just take care of the hardware, because they might be a bit low-end. Pero punas every week, and it'll last a while.

Cymbals... I don't think you should think about the cymbals when you buy a set. Tama si peeves, pangit lagi yan by default, lalo na dito sa Pinas. Buy the kit first, then plan your cymbals. I'd suggest you buy a crash first and a ride next. Then hats. Then others (splash, china, bell, other crashes, another ride, etc.). A lot of people here sa forum are selling their cymbals dirt cheap, so you might want to look around. Buy Gep's 20" A Zildjian Med Ride, para mabili na niya 17" trash crash ko, hehehe.

heads are a matter of personal preference and BUDGET. normally, you use the same type and model on all the toms. if you are a noob like what you say you are, better get familiar with the terms batter and resonant.

the heads you put on top of the drums are batter heads. the head at the bottom is your resonant.

its common to use the same batter on all the toms and use a different resonant.

if you want lively, jazzy toms use single ply heads on both batter and resonant sides. rock music usually calls for double ply batter for more controlled sound and more defined low end. you can use single ply on resonant.

then again there is an issue whether to use clear or coated heads but i leave it up to you to read the drum tuning bible http://home.earthlink.net/~prof.sound/ . remo's website has a tutorial on choosing heads and also evans.

my first drumkit was a fernando that i loved and cared for dearly. todo linis and all. i did a lot of damping here and there and it sounded quite decent. then i started getting tired of the sound. i felt basically uninspired because of the hats. one day, drummer extraordinaire Mar Dizon happened to be in the neighborhood. he worked that little fernando kit like there was no tomorrow! my old, uninspiring kit suddenly sounded like a TAMA!!! dun ko narealize na malaking bagay ang technique and execution. i then had a renewed interest and affection for that old kit.

1. if you already have a cheap kit, dont replace it with another cheap kit. take your time mastering your craft on your existing gear and spend your money on taking lessons or buy upgrades like better pedals and new heads. save up your money for that sonor 3005.

2. dont let wood composition bother you, what sounds good sounds good even if its made of palo china. actually, do replace your heads and you might be surprised.

better yet, save your money and buy one high end cymbal after another. WAG KA MAGTIPID SA CYMBALS. take your time when buying cymbals and really invest in the good ones. brand new or second hand doesnt matter as long as its in good condition and does not have cracks, keyholing and dents.

took me 5 years to complete my first cymbal setup because i bought one cymbal as a birthday present from me to me. my first acquisition was a zildjian K ride, a sabian AAX crash, then sabian AAX fusion hats (from the 13th pay of my first job). finally, i bought a zildjian A Custom crash and an 8" K splash from the first salary of my second job.

i bought my cymbals in order of my needs. i didnt have a ride so that's what i got first. a year later, it was time to replace the stock cymbals that came, and logically, the crash was the first to be replaced because it was cheaper than the hats. yada yada yada